Two more sentenced in killing of Chinese USC grad student

By

Sam Howard

July 14 (UPI) -- Two people were sentenced in the July 2014 killing of a Chinese graduate student at the University of Southern California.

Alejandra Guerrero, 20, and Jonathan Del Carmen, 23, were sentenced Friday for their roles in the death of Xinran Ji, a 24-year-old studying electrical engineering who was beaten to death with a baseball bat and wrench as he returned home after midnight from meeting a study group.

Guerrero received a lifetime prison sentence and Del Carmen was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison, NBC Los Angeles reported.

"I am so sorry and I pray that one day they could forgive me," Guerrero said at her sentencing hearing, ABC 7 reported. Guerrero was convicted in October 2016 of charges that included first-degree murder, robbery, attempted robbery and assault with a deadly weapon.

Prosecutors said she had first-hand involvement in the attack. They said Del Carmen, who pleaded guilty last year to second-degree murder, drove the getaway car. Guerrero and Del Carmen, as well as two other individuals, were trying to rob Ji, prosecutors said.

"[Guerrero] watched as he was crying and screaming for help, and she didn't just watch, but she got down on the ground where he was and participated in the attack," prosecutor John McKinney said.

A statement from Ji's parents said they "live in sorrow and darkness every day."

Guerrero also was convicted of her involvement in another attack that took place hours later.

A third person involved in the attack, Andrew Garcia, 22, was convicted of first-degree murder and other charges and sentenced to life in prison. The fourth person charged, Albert Ochoa, 21, is awaiting trial.